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Raptors being courted for No. 8 pick in draft

The Raptors have barely caused an on-court ripple throughout the NBA for the past few years but they are becoming something of a factor in the front offices this week.

Waiting for an unsettled draft to play out, the Raptors and their No. 8 selection are creating all kinds of buzz around the league and they could become significant players in how the whole process plays out.

Some members of the Raptors front office covet Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry, who is on the outs with head coach Kevin McHale. If the Raptors elect to trade their No. 8 pick in Thursday's draft, Houston might be a willing trade partner. (Dave Einsel / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to several team and league sources, Toronto’s willingness to trade its pick — most likely to move back in the draft but possibly to move entirely out or closer to the top — is a factor in the decisions being faced by a handful of teams.

President and GM Bryan Colangelo has admitted he’s open to listening to any offers; a signal his rivals took to heart. Colangelo and his staff were ensconced in the offices, making and fielding calls, but history would suggest little of import would happen until Thursday morning or just before the draft.

There are a couple of situations that merit keeping an eye on, although both were said to be long shots by league sources on Wednesday.

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It’s no secret there are those in the Raptors organization who covet Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry, who is on the outs with head coach Kevin McHale. The Rockets are also stockpiling draft picks so they can make an offer to Orlando for Dwight Howard, according to a variety of published reports, and a top-eight pick would be attractive.

And while the draft is full of players with potential — which, of course, means nothing until next season starts — the one player in the group of two through 10 who would fill an immediate need and likely contribute right away — North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes — will likely be long gone before No. 8.

Colangelo did hold out faint hope Tuesday that he could try and find a way to move into the top five of the draft.

It might make more sense for Toronto to make a trade for a variety of reasons. With Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas — last year’s No. 5 pick — coming next season and Colangelo committed to an “accelerated” building process, adding another rookie might be a sideways step.

“Jonas coming in is going to be one rookie to get on the floor, I know coach (Dwane Casey) likes Ed (Stefanski) and I but if we put two rookies out there and say play them and try to really work these guys in and develop them on a fast track, that’s probably a little bit counter to this acceleration idea that we want to really move forward,” Colangelo said Tuesday

However, it’s not as if the roster is stacked with budding all-stars, and putting together a package, including the No. 8 pick, that other teams would want won’t be easy.

And Colangelo’s draft-day trade history in Toronto hardly suggests a blockbuster is brewing. The only trade of significance Colangelo has made around the draft in his time in Toronto was in 2008 when he sent T.J. Ford and the No. 18 pick to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal. The Raptors actually made the selection — centre Roy Hibbert — but only at Indiana’s behest, he was never a factor in Toronto’s thinking.

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The Raptors did cause a bit of a stir Wednesday when news leaked out that they had Weber State point guard Damian Lillard in Toronto for a second workout on Tuesday.

Lillard, who is seen as a certain lottery pick and who could end up going to Portland at No. 6, was the only player under consideration for the eighth pick that Toronto had in for a second workout.

The names of the others on Colangelo’s short list is a closely-guarded secret, although Syracuse guard Dion Waiters and Duke guard Austin Rivers have been oft-linked to Toronto.

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